In July 2013 it also became the most downloaded mobile communication app from official stores in Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.

The strong growth has been attributed to a worldwide marketing push, including a TV advertisement starring Lionel Messi which is planned to be broadcast in 15 countries.

In its earnings report for the second quarter of 2013, Tencent said a “significant” increase in marketing costs for foreign markets had led to a dip in its profits from the first quarter.

However, year-on-year revenues and profits were both up.

Instant messaging is the most popular online application in China, with 84 per cent of the country’s internet users regularly accessing it. Search is the second most popular function at 80 per cent, according to figures compiled by the news agency Bloomberg.